HISTORY OF SILENT HILL
A town that possesses a mysterious power, Silent Hill. Using facts introduced
in the games as a foundation, let's delve into the history of this town.
year in American history relevance to Silent Hill
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before 16th c. * Native Americans conduct
rituals here. This land is
valued as a sacred place in
Native American religion
(see: folklore)
around 1607 * England begins
colonizing North America
late 1600s * settlers begin to come to
Silent Hill
1692 * Salem Witch Trials in
Massachusetts
early 1700s * a mysterious epidemic
breaks out, and the town
is abandoned
1776 * U.S. declaration of
independence
1789 * first presidential
inauguration of
George Washington
around 1810 * civil war breaks out * the town is resettled as
a penal colony. Silent
Hill Prison is constructed
(see: prison) Brookhaven
Hospital is constructed in
response to the outbreak of
an epidemic (see: epidemic)
1820 * Maine becomes a state * Allen Smith paints
"waterfront landscape"
1830 * beginning of forced
removal policy for
Native Americans
around 1840 * Silent Hill Prison closes
around 1850 * A coal field is discovered and
Wiltse coal mine opens, which
leads to the revitalization
of the town
1861 * outbreak of the * a man called Chester and his
American Civil War son both participate in the
war (see: the Civil War)
1862 * Toluca prison camp is
constructed for POWs
1865 * culmination of the
Civil War
1866 * the prison camp is converted
into Toluca Prison
around 1890 * end of Native Americans' * at this time people everywhere
organized resistance in the town mysteriously
disappear one after the other
early 1900s * Toluca Prison closes and
Silent Hill becomes a sight-
seeing area
Nov. 1918 * a sightseeing ship called the
Little Baroness goes missing
1939 * strange events take place at
Toluca Lake (see: Toluca Lake)
19XX * the mayor of Silent Hill
dies suddenly, and one after
the other the staff at a
development group die
accidental deaths
folklore
Sacred ground where Native Americans conducted mysterious rituals
Before settlers came from Europe, Silent Hill was a holy place. Even then,
the land seemed to possess a mysterious power.
IMAGE: the memo titled "Lost Memories"
They revered the town as "The Place of the Silenced Spirits." However, they
were driven away by settlers and had to abandon the town.
====
prison
After the spread of an epidemic, resettling of the town as a penal colony
begins
Many people lost their lives on this abominable soil. Consequently, the
town was used at first as a penal colony. It was at this time that it was
given the name "Silent Hill."
IMAGE: James in the Historical Society
After the closing of the prison, the Historical Society was built on its
former site. It conveys a sense of the town's history.
====
epidemic
Once more, the threat of a plague steadily wraps the town in darkness
The town was stricken by an epidemic. It may be that because of the
unforeseen deaths of the town's population, as well as the thoughts and
feelings of the prisoners, the original power that the town held was
gradually distorted.
IMAGE: the front doors of the hospital
The current incarnation of Brookhaven Hospital has existed since it became
large-scale in the late 1800s.
====
the Civil War
The town is drawn into the Civil War that divided the nation in two
The Civil War occurred in 1861. The stone statue by the lake is a
memorial to Patrick Chester, a soldier who fought in the war at this time.
IMAGE: James examines the statue in the park
Although the conflict was originally born from political opposition, it
was distorted by future generations into an issue concerning the birth of
the religious cult.
(note: Whether the word used here, "suuhai," means "cult" or "worship"
depends entirely on context and the context here doesn't seem to be clear
enough to rule out the possibility that this sentence could also mean
something like, "...it was distorted by future generations into an issue
concerning religious worship.")
====
Toluca Lake
After becoming a sightseeing area, a series of misfortunes befall the town
With the closing of Wiltse coal mine came the attempted reinvention of the
town as a tourist attraction. However, due to a succession of boating
accidents the town gained a poor reputation as a sightseeing area.
IMAGE: a rowboat is barely visible through the fog on the lake
The famous Toluca Lake is a place that overflows with atmosphere. It is known
as an ominous lake that has become completely shrouded in a pervasive mist.
(note: Although the Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865, the dates for its
outbreak are listed as both 1861 and around 1810 so I can only assume that
this is a typo. The earlier date is probably meant to indicate the War of
1812.)
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